This past fall, Fairbanks welcomed thousands of soldiers back to Fort Wainwright from Iraq. Today, a ceremony in Anchorage will mark the return of a much smaller group, but one that reminds us of the extent to which all of our military personnel are being deployed in overseas engagements.
The event recognizes the return last week of 30 Alaska Army National Guard soldiers. The guard soldiers live in communities across Alaska, including Fairbanks.
Several thousand Alaskans serve in the Alaska Army National Guard and the Alaska Air National Guard. While many Alaskans still think of guard members as weekend warriors, their military role has become far more than that in recent years. They have been deployed overseas in greater numbers and for longer periods than ever before.
The Army guard company being honored today is a good example. When F Company, 1/207th Aviation, left Alaska in April 2009, it was the company’s third deployment to Iraq since the war began there in 2003.
The Alaska company flew cargo, equipment and personnel around Iraq and Kuwait in its C-23 aircraft. According to the guard, these smaller aircraft go where larger Air Force transports cannot.
This sort of work might not be as dangerous as street patrols, but in a place such as Iraq, it is not without risk. Many Fairbanksans were made painfully aware of the danger in January 2006 when a guard helicopter crashed in bad weather near Tel Afar in northern Iraq. Three of the four crew members killed in the crash had close Fairbanks connections. They were the first Alaska Army guard soldiers to die in service since World War II.
By fortunate circumstance, the Army guard soldiers who returned to Alaska last week were transported home by the Alaska Air National Guard’s 249th Airlift Squadron, based at Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage. According to the guard, this was the first time the Alaska Air guard has picked up Alaska Army guard members from Iraq.
The homecoming ceremony today will be held at the Alaska National Guard Armory on Camp Denali, Fort Richardson, at 2 p.m. The group being recognized might be small, but they represent a force of thousands spread throughout Alaska — men and women who are devoting their lives to the service of our country at great personal sacrifice. They deserve our thanks and honor.
Welcome Home to those finally here.